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at a variety of price points (figure 2). An analysis of single patrol. Each has a hand in the guest experience—from when
day lift ticket pricing for mountain biking during the sum- they are first exploring what to do at the resort to their last
mer of 2017 showed an average single day price of $36, with trail experience before heading home.
about 29 percent of resorts offering single day access for $30 These meetings should be an open forum to discuss guest
or less, and about 74 percent offering single day access for feedback, issues, and opportunities to continually improve
$40 or less. the entire experience. For example, the trail crew may come
In summary, there are some positives in the initial data across guests whose expectations are out of line with the trail
NSAA has analyzed, but there is also work to be done to experience provided, which may require changes in signage,
increase participation and revenue over the long term. Using in the language and images on the website, or in other mar-
the strategies outline below, areas can make strides in grow- keting materials. The patrol may periodically find a greater
ing participation and increasing their revenues from biking. number of low-skilled riders on advanced trails because of
Gathering standardized metrics around mountain biking recommendations coming from specific rental techs. Or,
will help the industry develop a greater understanding of patrollers may be responding to incidents at certain features
how downhill mountain biking fits into the overall summer on a suddenly frequent basis. The rental shop may find itself
equation in terms of mix of attractions, visitation, long-term busier than normal because of a promotion that wasn’t com-
viability, and revenue. municated to them. The point isn’t to assign blame in any of
these scenarios but rather to work through what happened or
STRATEGY 1: RESORT BUY-IN is happening, why, and then address the issue. In addition,
For many bike park managers and advocates for the bike recognize that some of the best ideas come from the perspec-
park at a ski area, one of the primary challenges is getting tives of people who aren’t too close to the topic—who aren’t
buy-in and support for the park and the efforts necessary to living and breathing the bike park every day.
put a high-quality operation together. While many depart- One tangible impact of bringing these key stakehold-
ments may see their role and impact on the guest experi- ers together is the ownership and responsibility each will feel
ence as independent and not directly related, this could not toward the bike park. By keeping leadership informed and
be further from the truth. Each employee contributes to other departments involved, the bike park will be seen
the overall experience, whether a lift operator, ticket seller, as the critical component it is to a successful summer
line cook, rental tech, lift mechanic, patroller, CFO, or trail (or longer) season.
builder. Not every employee will directly interact with the
bike park, yet it’s important that they all understand their STRATEGY 2: COMMUNICATIONS
role in delivering a great overall experience, and as a result, & MARKETING
help increase the number of participants who want to come Downhill biking is often perceived as a sport for risk tak-
back to your area. ers, and the imagery used to promote downhill frequently
To help develop a resort-wide culture where all employ- emphasizes that side of the sport, with riders in the air with
ees embrace the importance of their job in growing partici- their bikes tweaked to the side or taking big drops off of
pation, one helpful strategy is to hold regular meetings with rocks, or dramatic scenes of elevated wooden structures
the senior leadership team to help them understand the role where the consequences of falling appear to be certain death.
Source: Summer 2017, mtbparks.com and individual resort’s publically accessible websites that the bike park plays in the area operation, how it fits with The reality is that downhill biking doesn’t require big air or
the overall vision of the area, and how it meshes with the tar- nerves of steel to enjoy. In fact, when marketing materials
get market. Important to these discussions is a solid under- rely exclusively on this type of imagery, there may be more
standing of your core rider demographic—what they want/ harm being done than good.
need to continue buying passes and tickets. As well, get to Several strategies can help ensure your messaging and
know the potential market and how the bike park operation imagery presents a balanced view of downhill biking, and in
can attract and retain these new participants. a way that doesn’t turn off potential new riders. First, audit
For those departments that work directly with the bike all marketing materials—website, rack cards, brochures,
park, regular meetings are critical to getting everyone work- posters, kiosks, etc.—to get an inventory of what infor-
ing toward the same goals. This is especially true when mation is accessible to riders of all ability levels. From this
talking about guests who are new to the bike park experi- inventory, carefully review what information is being put
ence and everything that is involved with getting into the out there with an eye toward the audience that will likely
bike park. Key groups you might involve are marketing, take the time to read it. Consider the tone, the accuracy and
sales/guest services, rentals, bike school, trail crew, lifts, and depth of information, the “breadcrumbs” you are placing to
Source: Summer 2017, mtbparks.com and individual resort’s publically accessible websites
SUMMER 2018 | NSAA JOURNAL | 29